Entries in Techie Stuff
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I'm on a work trip to Los Angeles. Packing for trips reminds me how much I hate trying to remember all of the various chargers that I might need while I'm away.... iPad, iPhone, computer, etc. and nevermind that it is almost impossible to remember car chargers (at least for me). I love these Power Trip charging kits that include everything you need to charge an iPhone or iPad in the wall or the car. The fact that they are cute is an added bonus.

I'm totally intrigued by the new credit card consolidation device Coin. Coin is designed to look and function like the plastic cards we all carry, but instead of carrying multiple cards, you just carry one! Using the one Coin card, you can choose which of your pre-loaded cards to use for each transaction - so you can use your business card when you are at a work lunch, your personal card for dinner with friends, and your debit card at the ATM. The card offers convenience, a lighter wallet, and security features. Check out a video about it on the Coin website.

Your existing cards are linked to Coin by using the Coin app, taking a photo of the cards, and swiping them through a device that attaches to your smartphone (the device looks a bit like Square). Coin links to your smartphone and needs to be used with a Bluetooth connection to your phone. For example, if you leave the card somewhere, your smartphone alerts you that your Coin isn't within range and it deactivates the card so it can't be used.

Coin is currently available for pre-order for $55 and won't ship until Summer 2014. There are still a lot of unknowns since Coin isn't actually available for purchase, but what a concept. This CNN article points out a few potential problems with Coin... we'll see next summer!